Arbuckle’s father William believed from birth that Roscoe was not his biological child. His father came to this conclusion simply because of the Roscoe’s weight. It has been estimated that Arbuckle’s birth weight was somewhere between fourteen and sixteen pounds. His father who was a staunch Democrat, named his son after a notorious philandering Republican Senator Roscoe Conkling. The elder Arbuckle treated his son harshly and abused him throughout his childhood. William also blamed the birth of Roscoe for Mollie’s untimely death.  
	Through his mother’s encouragement Arbuckle began working on the stage at age eight. Arbuckle was a talented singer and surprisingly agile. He continued to work locally until his mother’s death. When his mother died his father refused to support him, and Arbuckle began working odd jobs at a local hotel. Arbuckle liked to sing while he worked, and a guest at the hotel who was a professional singer recognized his talent. The singer invited Arbuckle to perform in a talent show. During this show Arbuckle’s singing, dancing and clowning around did not impress the audience. During the performances at the talent show “bad acts” were pulled off the stage with a shepherd’s crook. When Arbuckle saw the crook coming for him, he somersaulted into the orchestra pit; this move put the audience into a fit of laughter and Arbuckle ultimately won the talent show. Arbuckle was greatly influenced by Vaudeville and slap stick comedy; however some said he could have also been a great singer. Enrico Caruso had commented that he should “Give up the nonsense, and become the second greatest singer in the world.”  
	Around 1904 Arbuckle began singing for Sid Grauman at the Unique Theater in San Jose, California. He was called an illustrated singer as beautifully colored slides were projected behind him while he sang and thus illustrated the songs. He then joined the Pantages Theatre Group and he toured the West Coast of the United States. In 1906 was asked to join the Orpheum Theater in Portland, Oregon owned by Leon Errol. Arbuckle became the main attraction and the group took their show on tour.   
	In 1909 Arbuckle’s break into film and silent comedy came along.  He began his film career with the Selig Polyscope Company when he appeared in “Ben's Kid”. Arbuckle continued to appear occasionally in Selig’s one-reelers until 1913 when he moved briefly to Mack Sennett’s Studio and became a star and producer-director in Sennett's Keystone Cops comedies. Although Arbuckle realized his weight added comedic value to his on-screen appearances he refused to be put in demeaning situations. He would not appear in scenes that would cheapen the film or make it appear that his weight was a problem. Mack Sennett was quoted as saying “Arbuckle skipped up the stairs as lightly as Fred Astaire"; and, "without warning went into a feather light step, clapped his hands and did a backward somersault as graceful as a girl tumbler". 